


Beneath The Sheets

by Lulucutie12



Category: Magi: The Labyrinth of Magic
Genre: AU, Cheating, F/M, One sided Alakou
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2016-10-24
Updated: 2017-12-24
Packaged: 2018-08-24 09:33:47
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 11
Words: 11,479
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/8367286
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Lulucutie12/pseuds/Lulucutie12
Summary: Judal and Kougyoku have been "friends with benefits" ever since they were teenagers. That's the way it's always been, no romance, no questions, no complications. But with Kougyoku's wedding coming up with another man, Judal must decide what he really wants and if Kougyoku wants it too.





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> I'd like to give credit to author sumikitty, her Judal and Kougyoku fanfic gave me the idea of writing a story about Judal in an affair with an engaged Kougyoku. I recommend you check it out, it's titled "first of all".
> 
> Enjoy^^

Life was simple.

Judal leaned further into the cushioned chair, suppressing a moan as she worked him with her velvety tongue and soft hands. Just a horny boy enjoying the company of a very pretty girl. Simple.

Except it wasn’t.

Judal wasn’t any ordinary boy. He was Kou Tech’s, the biggest tech firm in the world, most prized employee, a programing prodigy. Koutoku’s puppetmaster wife had discovered him when he was still in pull ups and had taken him under her wing.

And that very pretty girl on her knees was Kougyoku Ren, pawn daughter of the aforementioned Koutoku Ren, the owner of Kou Tech. The same Kougyoku Ren whose engagement had been announced a month ago, to a man that was definitely not Judal.

So life wasn't so simple. Not at all.

Judal groaned, limbs loosening as he came. Kougyoku coughed and leaned to the side to spit his seed into her father’s waste basket. Breathing heavily, Judal looked down at Kougyoku. She was breathing even harder than he was, her magenta hair and silk camisole disheveled. Her pink lips were still wet with his seed and he fought the urge to pull her into his lap.

He wanted to kiss her.

He couldn't kiss her.

The two of them only kissed in the heat of moment, when her manicured nails entwined in his jet black hair and his bare hips were pressed against her. There were no lingering touches, no sweet whispers, no _kissing_ during the aftermath. So instead, Judal roughly wiped the hem of his black shirt against her mouth.

“Ow! Stop it, that hurts!” Kougyoku whined, shoving his hand away from her face. He let go of his shirt and smirked down at her.

“Your technique is getting sloppy, Old Hag.” She scowled at him.

“More like someone just couldn’t stop squirming.” He grinned, happy to have an opening.

“We’ll see who’s the one squirming.” The words slipped through his lips seductively as he tugged a surprised Kougyoku into the chair with him.

“Wait, I need to- I, well, just make it fast.” Kougyoku gave up her protests, letting herself get lost in sensation of Judal’s lips on her skin. He trailed kisses down to her collarbone and began roughly sucking on the alabaster skin, earning himself a sharp pinch from the girl.

“You’re going to leave a mark.” she hissed. Judal rolled his ruby eyes, but softened his administrations. Kougyoku rewarded him by nuzzling his neck. His hands had just begun to slip beneath her shirt when they heard the sound of nearing footsteps. Judal froze and Kougyoku’s pink eyes went wide.

“Oh my god, oh my god!” she whispered, her voice filled with fear. “We’re going to get into so much trouble, I told you we shouldn't have come in here!”

Judal on the other hand, just groaned, annoyed at the interruption. “Just get down and hide, I’ll handle this.” he said, pushing Kougyoku off him and under her father’s desk. A second later, he saw the doorknob turn and in walked the queen bitch in the flesh: Gyokuen Ren.

“I’ve been looking all over for you, Judal.” Gyokuen wore the same smile she always pasted on, but Judal knew she was irritated. “You know, if you’d like an office, I’d be happy to have a lovely one built for you.” Judal leaned back, crossing his arms behind his head and resting his feet on top of the desk.

“I only like offices that belong to other people.” Gyokuen said nothing, only smiled, before something on the ground caught her eye. The tip of a pink twintail peeking out from under the desk. Judal followed her line of sight and mentally cursed himself. Gyoken turned her attention back on Judal, an eyebrow raised. Judal looked right back at her, daring her to say something. The stare-off had gone on for what felt like hours, until Gyoken broke the silence.

“There’s something wrong with the latest code build, no one can figure it out. I need you to come back with me to HQ to help fix it.” Judal groaned loudly, but rose from the chair.

“You guys can’t do anything right.” he continued complaining as he followed Gyoken out the door. Kougyoku waited until she couldn’t hear their footsteps before crawling out from underneath the desk. She ran as quickly as she could to her room, swearing to herself she’d never let Judal convince her to trespass in her dad’s office, or anyone’s office for that matter, again.

Several hours had past before Judal breezed into Kougyoku’s bedroom. The error in the project’s build had actually been quite a tricky one, but that didn’t stop him from repeatedly insulting the other programmers for not being able to figure it out and for wasting his time. He bounced onto Kougyoku’s round canopy bed, stretching himself across the colorful pillows.

“Whatcha doing, Old Hag?” Kougyoku looked at Judal in the reflection of her dresser’s mirror, where she was curling her hair.

“I'm getting ready to go out to dinner. Which dress do you like better?” she asked, gesturing towards the garments hanging on the doors of her walk-in closet.

“The lace one.” Judal replied. It was a baby blue color. He liked her in blue, she was pretty in blue. “Where are we going?” She rolled her eyes and giggled.

“You’re not going, just me.” Judal’s teeth clenched and he fisted the sheets of her bed.

“So you’re going with _him_.” Kougyoku swiveled around in her chair to glare at Judal.

“He is sweet and intelligent and charming and absolutely perfect! Stop making digs at him all the time! If anything, you could learn a few things from him!”

“If he’s so fucking great, why are you fucking me instead?” Kougyoku slammed her curling iron down on the dresser's surface.

“You’re a jerk, Judal.” She stood up and moved to go lock herself in her private bathroom, but Judal grabbed her wrist as her fingers closed over the knob.

“C’mon, don't get so mad Old Hag.” he whispered, pressing her into the door. “Ditch that idiot. I’ll take you out and I’ll even treat you to that ice cream place you love.” Kougyoku rolled her eyes, but didn't push him away.

“I think you like that place even more than I do.” she said softly, running her fingertips under his shirt. He groaned and loosened the knot of her dressing robe.

“Just shut up for a little bit, Old Hag.” he said, as he pressed his lips against hers.

“Hey Gyoku! You decent?” Kouha’s voice cut in from outside the room. Kougyoku pushed Judal off her and told her brother to wait a second, before pulling on the lacy, blue dress Judal had chosen. Judal sighed and rested on Kougyoku’s bed again, admiring her appearance out of the corner of his eye.

“Okay, you can come in now,” she called, pulling a sheer white shawl over her shoulders. Kouha strolled in, unfazed by Judal’s presence in his sister’s room.

“I just came to tell you Sinbad is downstairs waiting for you. You look really pretty by the way.” Kougyoku blushed and thank her brother.

“Can you tell him I'll be a few minutes?”

Kouha nodded and made his way out of the room. Judal trailed after him, but stopped and turned to Kougyoku right before leaving.

“Have fun with your fiancé.”

 


	2. Chapter 2

Judal swung the door to Hakuryuu's room open hard, the younger boy immediately turning at the sudden bang. Upon seeing his grumpy black clad friend, he groaned.

“You’re going to put a hole in my wall if you throw the door open like that every time you’re in a bad mood.” Judal just rolled his eyes and plopped down on a beanbag.

“Who cares? Let’s get out of here, I need a fucking hit.”

“No thanks. When I came home after last time, Hakuei smelled the pot and lectured for me for the rest of the night.”

“Fine, be a little bitch. Just come out with me then. I’ll take you to Build-A-Bear and we’ll get you a fuzzy wuzzy stuffed animal. I just want to get the fuck outta here.” Hakuryuu had a suspicion as to what had gotten Judal all worked up.

“Fuck off. Ask Kougyoku to hang out if you’re that bored.” Judal’s jaw tightened. Hakuryuu had hit the nail right on the head.

“She went off with her idiot fiancée,” Judal said, regaining his composure. “That Old Hag doesn't even know what she’s getting into, I almost feel sorry for her.”

“She seems pretty happy. Didn't she have that huge crush on him after she met him at some college party a few years ago?” Hakuryuu turned his head away from Judal as he spoke, trying to hide the grin stretching from ear to ear on his face. After being constantly bombarded with Judal’s merciless teasing, it was nice to put him on the hot seat for once. Judal snorted in reply.

“She’s almost as stupid as Sinbad. Her head’s filled up with all that romance garbage she’s obsessed with. Everyone knows they’re only getting married so Kou Tech can merge with a startup like Sindria Inc without looking pathetic. One of these days, Kougyoku’s going to open up her eyes and realize how fucked she is.”

“And when that happens are you hoping she’ll run crying to you?” Hakuryuu could feel Judal’s eyes burning a hole into the back of his head. He had found about Judal and Kougyoku’s “activities” a few years prior. He hadn't found out the secret by being told although, dear god, he wished that he had found out that way.

But unfortunately for poor, innocent Hakuryuu, he had found out first hand instead.

To be exact, he found out when he walked into Judal’s room to take back the headphones Judal had stolen from him. His jaw hit the floor when he saw with wide open eyes his cousin/stepsister riding his best friend. Judal saw Hakuryuu before Kougyoku noticed, and immediately furiously mouthed “Get. The. Fuck. _Out_.” Hakuryuu had ran head over heels out of the room as quickly and quietly as he could.

A while later, Judal had came into his room, threatening to toss his treasured kitchen knife set off the roof if he told anyone about what he had seen. Hakuryuu, fiercely blushing, swore he wouldn't.

Then it finally sunk in that Judal was _fucking_ his cousin and he chased him around the house for the next hour, ready to dismember him.

Judal laughed.

“Aww, Hakuryuu. I always forget that you’re still a pure, little virgin. You see, when a guy is horny as fuck and a girl is horny as fuck, they both decide to f-”

“Shut up already!” snapped a tomato red Hakuryuu. “Fine! I’ll come out with you! But no fucking pot and no talking about _fucking_!” Judal laughed again, happy to have gotten what he wanted while successfully teasing his victim in the process.

Hakuryuu, on the other hand, couldn't help but feel frustrated. Not so much about being coerced into getting out of the house, he was feeling a little bored anyway. But, as much as he hated to admit it, he was concerned about Judal.

Kougyoku and himself were the only people Judal actively sought out and spent time with. But although him and Judal were technically best friends, they had bonded over mutual hate and anger.

Kougyoku was different, Judal talked to Kougyoku simply because he liked talking to her. And hell, Kougyoku was the only person who could ever get him to actually be nice.

Hakuryuu was scared of what would happen once Kougyoku really did get married.

Would Judal simply let her go?

Would he stand up when the priest said “speak now”?

He couldn't really see either scenario happening. But that wedding was going to come and it was going to come soon.

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Leave a comment^^ 
> 
> Next chapter in a few weeks~


	3. Chapter 3

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm really sorry about the lateness of this chapter, I had a lot of trouble writing and editing this week with the election results and some other personal issues. 
> 
> Anyway, I hope the chapter was worth the wait! Enjoy!
> 
> By the way, if Sinbad seems like he's laying on a bit thick at moments, that's because he is^^

_She was the luckiest girl in the world._

  
Kougyoku couldn’t help but think that as her fiancee opened the car door for her, his toned arm resting gently on hers as he helped her into her seat. Her cheeks were as pink as her hair, stealing glances towards Sinbad as he climbed into the driver’s seat.

  
God, he was so handsome.

  
“You look incredibly beautiful tonight, Kougyoku. I nearly lost my breath when I saw you walk onto the room. Though I shouldn't have been surprised, your loveliness rivals all others on any given day.” Heat exploded in Kougyoku’s cheeks, burning a bright crimson.

  
“Oh, I- um, t-thank you! Y-you also look really, um, handsome.” Sinbad responded to her stammering with a soft smile, putting her at ease.

  
Well, slightly at ease.

  
“So, uh, how is Sindria Inc doing? I heard from Koumei that stock prices have been rising in-” Kougyoku was attempting to make small talk when Sinbad interrupted her.

  
“Hush now, let’s not discuss work. After all, we’re becoming partners in marriage, not in business. Tell me about your day.” Kougyoku’s heart soared at his words. He really was perfect. Everything was playing out the way she had always fantasized it would when she was a little girl, falling in love and getting married to a dashing gentleman who as good-looking as he was charismatic and successful. Everything was _perfect_.

  
So why?

  
Why less than an hour earlier had she let Judal run his hands across her?

  
Why had she touched him back?

  
Why? Why? _Why?_

  
Kougyoku didn’t know the answer.

  
Maybe she didn’t need to know. In a matter of months she’d be happily married, and her relationship with Judal would simply return to the way it was when they were kids, before hormones had begun to blur the lines of friendship and sex. Yes, that’s exactly what would happen. Clean and simple.

  
Everything was going be perfect, absolutely perfect.

  
Kougyoku repeated that mantra over and over in her head, delicate fingers unconsciously tightening their hold on the intricate lace of her dress.

  
“My day was great! I finally got Alibaba to agree to be my model in the fashion show my college holds every semester. With him on board, I can probably convince Morgiana to model too…” Kougyoku gave a bright smile as she chatted with Sinbad.

  
She didn’t take the time to wonder if he could tell it was fake.

  
\---------------------------------

  
“So I’m there trying to getting Kouha out what was left of the pants while Alibaba went to grab some scissors, when Kouen walks into the room. He stares at us for a few seconds and then burst out laughing. Like so hard that he was bent over holding his stomach. Kouha was so mad, he flat out tackled him.” Sinbad titled his head back laughing as Kougyoku reminisced about the time she messed up the measurements for a pair of jeans she was making.

  
“Did you really force your brother to wear a pair of embroidered jeans covered in glitter?” Sinbad’s eyes sparkled in amusement as he raised a glass of incredibly expensive wine to his lips. Kougyoku pouted at him, pink lips pursed.

  
“I needed to see them on somebody! Hakuei wasn’t home, so Kouha was the closest I could find to, um you know, a ‘feminine’ form.” Kougyoku wished her youngest brother would embrace his delicate appearance a little more, he really was beautiful. “Anyways, Judal stormed in, wanting know what all the commotion was about. He was so mean, me and Alibaba were trying our hardest to pull Kouha off Kouen and instead of helping, he just stands there laughing!” Sinbad raised an eyebrow, taking another sip from his crystal glass.

  
“I always forget that you and Judal live in the same house. It must have been difficult growing up with someone so eager to start up trouble at every corner.” Kougyoku bit her lip, looking down at the napkin on her lap.

  
“Well… I know Judal isn't an easy person to be around, he can be mean and selfish a lot of the time. But…he's been through a lot. He was separated from his parents at such a young age, and I know how something like that…I know that must of been hard on him. He has a bad side, definitely, but he has a good side too. He's been there for me when no one else was. So...no matter what, he'll always be a really important person to me.”

  
“I see.” Kougyoku looked up to see an unreadable expression on Sinbad’s face. It only lasted a second, before he broke into his usual trademark smile. “I hope that I'll become an important person to you as well, Kougyoku.” Her magenta eyes widened and she instinctively reached across the table for his hand.

  
“You’re already important to me!” Sinbad was taken aback, surprised at her suddenness and raw emotion. Kougyoku, upon realizing that she was holding his hand, dropped it like it had stung her. “I mean, it's just that, of course you’re important to me. You’re my fiancée, after all.” Sinbad’s bright golden eyes searched her face. She couldn't tell what they were looking for. Finally he smiled at her, and she couldn't help but feel that it seemed a little more sincere than his previous ones.

  
\------------------------------------------------------

  
“Well, here we are.” Sinbad said, as he finally pulled into the Kou Mansion’s winding driveway. Kougyoku didn't understand how he could still be so lucid and sharp after all the wine he’d drank. A few glasses had left her flushed and sleepy. She let her heated forehead rest against the cool, icy glass of the car window. “I'll walk you to the door.” Sinbad said, as he rested his palm on her upper thigh, his thumb gently stroking the smooth, alabaster skin. Kougyoku let out a soft whine as she shifted her body towards Sinbad, pressing her slender figure against him. She liked it when Judal was gentle.

  
Wait… _Judal?!_

  
Kougyoku immediately jumped, startling Sinbad. “Is everything alright?” he asked, moving his hand to her shoulder, giving it a light squeeze.

  
“Y-yeah, I'm fine. I just remembered something all of a sudden.” Kougyoku stammered, struggling to unbuckle her seatbelt with shaking hands, before Sinbad leaned over to help her out.

  
Despite her protests, Sinbad insisted on walking her to the main entrance and gave her a goodnight kiss on the cheek. She was blushing when she finally walked through the door.  
\-----------------------------------------

  
She couldn't sleep. Kougyoku tossed and turned, unable to get the sensation of a warm hand on her thigh.

  
But no matter how hard she tried to imagine it, the hand didn't belong to Sinbad.

  
Eventually Kougyoku gave up, kicking her expensive sheets off and tiptoed her way to Judal’s room through the dark halls of house. Everyone seemed to be sleep, except Koumei of course, who was probably up late studying. Not for school purposes, but just for the joy he somehow found in endless research. She eventually found her way into Judal’s pitch black room and kneeled by the edge of his bed.

  
“Judal… Hey are you awake? Judal?” Kougyoku whispered out to him, but he made no reply. He must have fallen asleep. Kougyoku started to get up to leave when Judal’s ruby eyes flew open and he grabbed her arm, pulling her into his bed. He quickly shifted on top of her, like a predator who’d just captured its prey.

  
“Hey Old Hag,” he grinned, kissing her on the nose. “Your date with that moron must have been boring as fuck.”

  
“It was actually gre-” Judal cut her off with a kiss, his hands roaming all over her. He kissed her roughly, as he usually did, but his touch was soft and sweet. Just how she wanted it. Kougyoku kissed him back with equal fervor, fingers grasping at his dark hair.

  
Sinbad didn’t cross her mind again for the rest of the night.

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'll try my best to have the next chapter posted faster next week. I'm hoping that I'll be able to post two chapters on the week of Thanksgiving. 
> 
> See you next time^^


	4. Chapter 4

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I've got to be honest guys, I'm insanely busy with college apps right now. Updating is going to be a little rockier an less frequent, but I promise to deliver chapters semi-regularly to you guys until things ease up. 
> 
> Let me clear, I WILL NOT ABANDON THIS STORY NO MATTER WHAT. I'm absolutely determined to see it through the end, even if I have to rush things.
> 
> Anyways, enjoy^^

Blue beams of light bounced off Judal’s dark walls, giving the rather grim looking room a sense of tranquility, even almost ethereal beauty. Kougyoku lay on her back, gazing up at the black ceiling littered with white specks where the paint had chipped off as a result of Judal constantly battering the poor thing with polo balls he had stolen from Hakuei.

 

The only fabric covering her porcelain skin was a thin blanket, but Judal’s body heat kept her warm. He was lying next to her, face buried in her perfumed hair. 

 

“Hey, Judal. Do you remember our first time?” Kougyoku asked, half asleep. In her post-slumber daze, her own words felt foreign to her ears. 

 

Judal groaned, tightening his hold on her waist. She liked it, liked how someone who could feel so far away sometimes was holding her so close. Absentmindedly, she ran her fingers along his stomach, fingertips gently tracing across his firm abs. Those muscles were the only thing he’d ever worked for, everything else seemed to fall into his lap, whether it be talent or fortune. Judal exhaled at her touch.“Yeah...I remember. We were messing around on that tire swing at the park. Around midnight or something.”

 

“Yeah. We’d been playing, and then you leaned the wrong way and we fell over each other onto the ground. I thought you did it on purpose.”

 

“I did do it on purpose. It was funny. You got so mad.”

 

“Then you kissed me.”

 

“And then I kissed you.”

 

“.....I can’t believe I lost my virginity in a park. A  _ public _ park.”

 

“Me either. You were a total greenhorn in high school.”

 

“What a hypocrite, I know that was your first time too.” Kougyoku yawned after she spoke and rubbed her eyes. “I should go, everyone is going to start getting up soon.” Judal loosened his grip on her as she slipped away, wincing as the coolness of the morning air hit her with full force. She picked her discarded clothes off the floor and pulled them on before walking to the door, taking one last look at Judal. “Bye…” she said softly, slinking out into the hall. 

 

Judal buried his face into his pillow, it’s satin fabric smelled faintly like Kougyoku’s sugary perfume. She always smelled like a candy store. In a good way. He stayed like that for awhile, waiting for sleep to come, angry at himself for wishing deep down, despite himself, that he had asked her to stay. 

\-------------------------------------------------

 

Judal made his towards the terrace where the Kou mansion's staff served breakfast every morning. The aroma of baked pastries and fried meat hit him as soon as he breezed onto the terrace’s marble tiles. Mountains of food were placed on the white linen covered table. Oddly though, the spread this morning looked much better than usual.

 

“Get out of the way.” 

 

Judal turned his head to see Hakuryuu, who was holding a huge plate laden with even more food, impatiently waiting for him to stop blocking his path to the table. Judal raised an eyebrow.

 

“What the hell are you doing?”

 

“This is his punishment for last night,” piped up Hakuei from her seat at the table, where Kougyoku and Kouha had already begun digging in. Her blues eyes narrowed at Judal. “How many times have I told you not to get him involved in the kind of stuff?!” Contrary to the promise he’d made Hakuryuu the night before, the two of them had gotten very very high and upon coming home, had been very  _ very _ loud. 

 

Almost as loud as the volume of Hakuei’s voice when she yelled at her little brother after rushing downstairs upon hearing the crashing sound of Judal tripping over one of Kouha's stray kendo swords.

 

Judal simply rolled his eyes and took a seat across from Kougyoku who peered up at him from behind the mountain of berries and cream that was smothering the waffles on her plate. 

 

“How many times have I told you I don’t give a fuck?” 

 

Hakuei glared at him in response, but Judal just laughed and reached over to grab a slice of peach tart.

 

“Man Hakuryuu, this shit tastes great. You’re going to make a great housewife someday.” Judal commented as Hakuryuu returned to the table with a pitcher of orange juice. Kougyoku raised a napkin to her lips to cover up her giggles, while Kouha chuckled freely at Judal’s teasing remark. Even the corners of Hakuei’s mouth twitched with amusement. 

 

Hakuryuu flushed and “accidentally” spilled a rather sizeable amount of juice onto Judal’s lap. 

 

“Oops, my hand slipped.” Hakuryuu said, not even trying to mask the smirk on his face. Judal cursed, grabbing a handful of napkins in an attempt to try and absorb most of the liquid.

 

“You son of a bitch! This gonna fucking stain.”

 

“It’s going to stain a pair of  _ black _ jeans?”

 

“Shut up, Hakuryuu. Hey Hakuei, I have a complaint against the quality of service I’m getting here.” Hakuryuu grinned.

 

“Does that mean that I’m not getting a tip?” Judal tossed the soaked napkins at Hakuryuu, who just laughed, easily dodging, and made his way back to the kitchen. Hakuei shifted her attention onto Kougyoku. 

 

“Hey, how’d it go with Sinbad last night? You have a good time?” Kougyoku blushed and nodded.

 

“Yeah… The restaurant was great and he was really nice…” Kouha laughed and poked his sister's cheek. 

 

“You’re totally red right now! That’s so adorable.” Kougyoku’s cheeks turned a shade darker as she swatted his hand away, but he continued mercilessly teasing her.

 

Judal watched the scene in front of him with a blank expression, biting down on the fork in his mouth just a little too harshly. It seemed like everyone’s favorite fucking subject was that idiot. Suddenly a thought popped into his head that would make the morning a lot more enjoyable. 

 

Face completely sober, he shifted his leg under the table and rubbed his sock clad foot against Kougyoku’s smooth shin. She jumped up immediately, startled by the contact, alerting the attention of Hakuei and Kouha.

 

“Are you okay? What just happened?” Hakuei asked, forehead creased as Kouha raised an eyebrow in question.

 

“N-nothing.” Kougyoku stammered, trying to ignore the sensation of Judal’s caresses, while simultaneously attempting to kick him away. “I just got a chill all of a sudden.” She shot a puzzled look at Judal, who only smiled back innocently. 

 

What had gotten into him? 

 

The two of them were never so….affectionate like this. They were only intimate with each other when they were, you know,  _ intimate. _

 

“Um, anyways, I was going to head over to the movies with Alibaba, Morgiana, and Aladdin. Did you guys wanna come by any chance?” Kouha sighed.

 

“Dammit, I wish. I’ve got a kendo match today.” 

 

“I can’t either. I’m going to be stuck in meetings all day. Sorry.”

 

“It’s okay…” Kougyoku shifted her gaze onto Judal, whose foot was still rubbing against her. “Judal, do you wanna go?” He leaned back in his chair, his foot traveling a little higher up her leg, as he crossed his arms behind his back. 

 

“No thanks, those guys bore the fuck outta me.” Judal piled the rest of the peach tart onto his plate and got up from the table, heading back toward the interior of the house. 

 

Kougyoku, for a just teeny, minsucule moment, missed his touch.

 

Judal headed into the kitchen where Hakuryuu was washing dishes. With a mouth full of tart, he asked him a question. 

  
“Hey, wanna go to the movies?” 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Alright, till next time guys~
> 
> Feel free to leave a review, they seriously make my day^^


	5. Chapter 5

“Kougyoku wait!” The pink haired girl stopped in her tracks a few yards away from the front entrance of the mansion, and turned around at the sound of her name to see Hakuryuu hurrying toward her. Judal trailed behind him at his very typical leisurely pace.

 

“Huh? Oh, did you wanna head out to the theater together? Wait, Judal? ” Kougyoku asked confused over the older boy’s presence. She knew Hakuryuu had been planning to come to the movies, it wasn’t like Judal to see him off though. She could have sworn she saw her cousin’s baby blues flash momentarily with exasperation.

 

“It’d be way more efficient to just carpool. And… Judal is coming too.” 

 

“What?!” Kougyoku said in a mixture of disbelief and shock, her darkly outlined eyes widening and then immediately narrowing at Judal who had finally reached them. She jutted out her glossy pink lower lip in a pout.

 

“You’re so mean, Judal! I asked you if you wanted to go and you said no!” she whined, continuing to glare at Judal, who completely unaffected by her indignation, simply shrugged his shoulders.

 

“I didn’t wanna go, but little Haku begged and begged.”

 

“I did n-” Hakuryuu’s denial was cut off by the sharp pain of Judal’s elbow digging into his side. “I mean, of course I did.” Hakuryuu said through gritted teeth. “Because he’s  _ such  _ a good friend _. _ ” Judal threw his arm around the less-than-willing boy’s shoulders.

 

“Yeah, Old Hag, how could I let my _ bestest _ friend down?” Kougyoku, more than a little peeved, and to be perfectly honest, upset at the fact Judal hadn’t cared enough to go for her sake, only uttered a “hmph” and began walking towards her shiny silver convertible. As soon as she was out of earshot, Hakuryuu smacked Judal’s arm away and shot him a glower.

 

“You’re pathetic, you know that?” If the comment had flustered Judal, he certainly didn’t show it. Instead he smirked.

 

“This is coming from you? To be honest, I don’t know what’s going to be more entertaining, watching the movie or watching you crash and burn in front of Morgiana.” Hakuryuu’s face tunred the same shade as his not-so-secret crush’s hair at the thought of her, not to mention all the humiliating memories he had racked up in his attempts to win her over. 

 

“Let me think, which train wreck was my favorite? Was it the flowers you gave her that she was allergic to, or maybe the time you nearly fell off an overpass when you were trying to hang up that ‘promposal’ banner?” At this point Judal was laughing so hard that his sides were starting to prick with pain. At this point also, Hakuryuu was ready to give him some actual pain. But miraculously, Kougyoku’s voice rang out just before Hakuryuu could wrap his hands around his best friend’s neck.

 

“ _ Guys! _ Hey! Come on, we’re going to be late!” she exclaimed, opening the door to the driver’s side. Hakuryuu’s eyes widened and he took off running after her for the second time that day.

 

“Wait! Kougyoku, I’ll drive! I’ll drive, let me do it!” Kougyoku beamed, naturally assuming her cousin was trying to be nice by taking on the work of handling the drive to the theater himself. 

 

“Thanks.” she said, tossing him the keys and walking around to the passenger's side. Hakuryuu smiled, slightly out of breath.

 

“No problem.” He of course, was perfectly content to let Kougyoku go on believing that he took the keys away from her simply out of the goodness of his heart. Judal, however, was not.

 

“He’s only driving because you’re so shitty at it.” Judal commented, as he slipped into the backseat. Hakuryuu stiffened, embarrassed to be called out on his little white lie, while simultaneously wishing that Judal had banged his head against the roof of the car on his way in. Kougyoku turned around in her seat to glare at Judal. 

 

“I am not a bad driver! Right, Hakuryuu? 

 

“....It’s never boring when you drive.” 

 

“Hakuryuu!” Kougyoku whined, as Judal laughed.

“Told ya so.” Kougyoku puffed air into her cheeks and looked at her cousin sullenly, who was wishing he was anywhere else but that car as he pulled out of the driveway.

 

“Explain to me how I’m a bad driver!”

 

“Well….for one thing, turning and _drifting_ aren’t the same thing.”

 

“Alibaba said my turns were awesome!”

 

“Alibaba hosts a Fast and Furious marathon with Cassim twice a year.” Kougyoku crossed her arms and sank into the plush leather of the passenger seat. 

 

“You guys suck.”

 

“I’d rather suck than  _ be _ stuck watching you wrap the hood of your car around a tree for the  _ fourth time _ .” Hakuryuu couldn’t help muttering under his breath, which unfortunately, Kougyoku heard.

  
_ Hakuryuu!”  _

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Enjoy and comment^^
> 
> I'll try my best to get back to my regular weekly updating schedule.
> 
> Merry Christmas~


	6. Chapter 6

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Don't judge me for how late this is, I've got finals and college apps breathing own my neck. I'm currently praying for the sweet release of death.

“Alibaba!” Kougyoku cheerfully called out to her best friend, before running up and leaping into his arms without any hesitation. The blonde boy laughed, as he wrapped his arms around her lithe waist and spun her around. Kougyoku giggled happily and clung to him even tighter. Only a few feet away from the affectionate exchange stood Judal, who was currently casting his gaze on anything but the two of them. Man, did that Alibaba guy annoy the shit out of him. The dude was honestly a total dork. But Kougyoku had been fawning over him ever since they’d met in high school, and even now never shut up about how awesome the guy  _ apparently _ was. 

 

Judal remembered one time when she’d blown him off, wanting to make plans to hang out with Alibaba instead. It hadn’t been the first raincheck she’d given him because of Alibaba, but Judal had finally gotten fed up. He’d bitterly commented “So, I guess you’re fucking that blonde kid with the bedhead huh?” That little quip got him locked out of Kougyoku’s bedroom for three weeks.

 

Judal wasn’t the only one who was less than thrilled with how much of Kougyoku’s body was currently pressed against Alibaba’s. Judal could see Aladdin looking at the scene cooly from beneath his bangs, the teen’s usually expressive face blank. But their mutual annoyance (however obvious it was, he refused to admit it was jealousy) only served to further piss Judal off. He found Alibaba obnoxious, but he downright hated that blue haired brat. As much as he fucking hated to admit it, Aladdin was leagues above him when it came to coding. And Judal sure as hell wasn’t happy with second best. 

 

Not to mention that pathetic puppy dog crush he had on Kougyoku. 

 

Judal gritted his teeth. At least Kougyoku was totally oblivious to it. She spent most of her time shouting at Aladdin, rather than giving him the endearment she directed at Alibaba.  _ Thank fucking god for that. _ He didn’t what he’d do if it had was Aladdin’s arms that she was jumping into. 

 

Alibaba  _ finally _ put Kougyoku down, breathing a little heavier than before, as the rest of group caught up to each other. 

 

“H-hey Morgiana.” Hakuryuu was already blushing when he greeted Morg, who unlike Judal and Aladdin, was completely unfazed by her boyfriend and Kougyoku’s display. Judal grinned, wondering how much Hakuryuu would humiliate himself today. As if she read his mind, Kougyoku poked him with a perfectly manicured finger.

 

“Don’t be mean,” she whispered harshly, reprimanding him like he was a kindergartener who’d broken another little shit’s color pencils. He glanced at her face, with its heavily applied shimmery eyeshadow, and pink lip gloss that he personally knew tasted like peach taffy. Sometimes he wondered if she bought that delicious lip gloss with his love of peaches in mind. 

 

But then he remembered she just liked fruit.

 

“Careful Judal, all that bronzer is gonna streak onto your clothes.” Aladdin’s teasing voice barged right into his head, immediately filling him with irritation. 

 

“You little brat! How dare you?!” Kougyoku’s cheeks flushed in anger as she went at Aladdin, ready to pummel him. 

 

“For christ’s sake, Aladdin!”  Hakuryuu shouted in frustration, grabbing his enraged cousin before she could throw herself at the boy. Judal was also restraining Kougyoku, although he would’ve been elated to see Aladdin’s face beaten in, he’d had enough of watching Kougyoku pressed up against other guys for the day. Morg lectured Aladdin who simply stood there with a large grin, looking pleased with himself as Alibaba tried to reassure Kougyoku that the amount of powder she had on was just the right amount.

 

\--------------------

Eventually after Kougyoku had calmed down, the group finally managed to buy their tickets to see the newest comedy film and entered the theater. Miraculously, everyone agreed that the best seats were the ones at the very top row, although conflict again arose when Judal asked Hakuryuu if he was sure he wouldn’t be scared to go all the way to the top.

 

Astonishingly, Hakuryuu wasn’t pleased by Judal’s overwhelming concern. 

 

Finally, they made it to the top of the dimly lit staircase. Alibaba plopped into the seat that he thought was the closest to the center of the screen. He was flanked by Kougyoku and Morgiana, who took the seats next to his, both smiling fondly at the blonde. 

 

Aladdin couldn’t but think (with just a  _ hint  _ of jealousy) that although Alibaba had never been good at chatting up girls on the fly, he somehow managed to get nearly every girl who actually knew him well to fall head over heels for him. Albeit, platonically in Kougyoku’s case.

 

Judal casually took the seat next to Kougyoku. He was going to have quite a lot of fun, after all, he had a fondness for public displays of _ “affection” _ . And Kougyoku was looking awfully delectable today, with her white thigh high socks and short shorts. But Judal’s fantasies were cut short when Aladdin interrupted his thoughts for the second time in less than an hour.

 

“Hey Judal, can you move? I wanna sit next Kougyoku.” That fucking twerp.

 

“No way, my ass was here first.” Judal looked at Kougyoku expectantly, waiting for her to make it clear to the brat that she didn’t want to sit next to him in the first place. 

 

But she didn’t say anything to Aladdin. Instead, she lightly nudged Judal’s arm.

 

“It’s not a big deal. Just let him sit here.” Judal stared at her in utter disbelief.

 

“What the fuck? You were ready to beat the shit out of him fifteen minutes ago!” Kougyoku rolled her pretty eyes, as if Judal was bringing up an incident that had happened years ago. Aladdin continued to stand there waiting, his heart jumping in glee despite himself at the sight of Kougyoku actually seeming to want to sit next to him. 

“Hey, what if we all just move down a seat? Then Aladdin can just sit on her other side,” said Alibaba, trying to defuse the situation. However, Kougyoku pouted, she wanted to sit next him most of all.

 

“But Aliba-”

 

“Holy shit, I’ll fucking move. Hakuryuu’s sitting over there anyway.” Judal stood up, nearly making Aladdin spill the enormous tub of popcorn he was holding as he shoved past him to take a seat next to Hakuryuu, who had shockingly (not really) sat next to Morgiana.

  
“Not. A. Fucking. Word.” Judal spoke under his breath, but his words were still loud enough that Hakuryuu could catch them. Hakuryuu nodded. As much as he loved getting even for Judal’s merciless taunting, he knew when it was time to shut up. And besides, with Morgiana just two seats away, who knew what Judal would cook up in revenge?   

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Leave comment~ I seriously love them to death^^


	7. Chapter 7

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter the most graphic one so far. It seems like people want things to be more heated, so I'm trying my best to satisfy those wants. But I'm not used to writing sexy scenes, so it'll take awhile for be to become comfortable making them. I don't plan on putting any full on smut in the story, since I personally have trouble taking a story seriously when it has gratuitous sex scenes. (But there is an incredibly lemony one shot I've been thinking about writing. I'm going to need to get more adjusted before I make it though.)
> 
> Anyways, enjoy~

“Three-way!” Judal shouted gleefully as he jumped onto Kougyoku and Hakuryuu’s laps. The two of them screeched in surprise as Judal collided with them, which of course, only made him laugh harder.

 

“Get off me, you idiot!” Hakuryuu yelled, red faced as he shoved Judal off his lap, sending him crashing into the hardwood floor of the waiting area in the burger place they’d decided to (or coerced into, in Judal’s case) have lunch at.

 

“Hakuryuu!” scolded Kougyoku and Alibaba in perfect unison, the former leaning down to check on Judal as latter shook his head patronizingly at the younger boy. Hakuryuu rolled his eyes in annoyance. Talk about being overly concerned.

 

“He’s  _ fine. _ Are we seriously pretending he didn’t have it coming?” Morgiana nudged him, although with time she dedicated to weightlifting, Hakuryuu couldn’t help feeling it that it was more like a shove.

 

“You’re making a scene,” she whispered, glancing nervously at the people who’d turned to look at them after hearing all the commotion. To Morg’s relief, the onlookers quickly lost interest in them and went back to their meals. Kougyoku was still leaning over Judal though, who could totally see right down her frilly shirt from the angle she was at. 

 

Not a bad view.

 

“Oh my god, are you okay?” Kougyoku’s eyes were filled with genuine concern for his well-being. 

 

Hakuryuu snorted.

 

_ “It’s literally a one foot drop.”  _ Judal grinned devilishly at Hakuryuu’s words.

 

“So I guess you don’t mind if I do this then.” Judal grabbed Hakuryuu’s ankle and yanked  _ hard _ . Hakuryuu, caught off guard, found himself flailing to the ground. But Hakuryuu ended up landing on Judal which vastly decreased the volume of the fall (to Morg’s joy) and knocked the wind out of poor Judal (to his chagrin).

 

“I feel fine.”

 

_ “GET OFF.” _

 

\------------------------------- 

 

“You’re lucky we didn’t get kicked out of the restaurant because of you.” At those words, everyone looked up from their menus and glared at Hakuryuu.

 

“Seriously? You shoved me, dipshit!”

“You’re the one who pushed him first!”

 

“Don’t you think you’re kind of being a hypocrite.” Hakuryuu sank back into fake leather of the booth after being thoroughly scolded, covering his burning face with the menu.

 

Kougyoku rolled her eyes, despite the tinge of pity she felt for her cousin. She focused her attention to Judal, who was finally sitting next to her at the edge of the booth. 

 

“Whatcha getting?” 

 

“Teriyaki burger, I guess. No lettuce.”

 

“I see…” Judal waited with his standard impatientience for Kougyoku to continue, but she looked back to her menu without another word.

 

“Well, what are  _ you _ getting, Old Hag?

 

“Oh… One of the salads.”

 

“What the fuck? You  _ hate _ veggies.”

 

“Yeah, but I’m on a diet. The wedding’s coming up in a few months so…” Annoyance spiked in Judal like a diabetic’s blood sugar after a hot fudge sundae. He pinched the skin on the side of her waist, which he knew from experience was tight and firm.

 

“Christ, you’re mental… You’re gonna end up looking like a lamppost.”

 

“Hey!” she protested, lightly smacking his hand away. He laughed and flicked her nose.

 

“You look fine for an Old Hag.” Kougyoku didn’t say anything, but Judal could see her cheeks were pink, pinker than the blush she’d applied on. Moving slowly so he wouldn’t startle her, he gently laid a warm palm on her exposed thigh. Kougyoku didn’t offer him any encouragement to continue his ministrations, but she didn’t tell to stop either. His hand slide further down her silky smooth thigh, his fingers rubbing the skin under the cotton fabric of her socks. Kougyoku finally raised her eyes to meet his, with a look he could clearly see meant ‘Seriously?  _ Here?’ _

 

Unbeknownst to them, a certain blonde was observing their exchange out of the corner of his eye as he listened to Aladdin recount every funny scene in the film they’d just watched in an absurd amount of detail and with very dramatic hand motions.

 

“Hey, Old Hag. I fucked up my eyeliner in the theater. Come to the bathroom and help me fix it,” Judal said, his fingers beginning to travel back up her leg.

 

“Aww, did you cry during the movie, Judal?” Aladdin asked, a mischievous glint in his eyes and an unconcealable grin on his lips.

 

“Shut up twerp!”

 

“But the waitress is coming soon..” Judal rolled his eyes, which Kougyoku could see were still perfectly rimmed with eyeliner.

 

“Hakuryuu, get me the teriyaki burger and a bottle of the most expensive beer they have in this dump. Whaddya want, Old Hag?” Kougyoku poked him in the stomach sharply, partly because of that obnoxious nickname and partly because of the rudeness towards the restaurant.

 

“Could you please order me a Shirley Temple and the house sal-”

 

“-She wants a Shirley Temple and a Hawaiian burger. Extra fries.” After interrupting her, Judal proceeded to drag a protesting Kougyoku towards the bathrooms. 

 

The remaining four members of the party sat quietly after their departure until Alibaba broke the silence.

 

“So, they’re totally gonna fuck in there, right?” 

  
  


\-------------------------

 

“That wasn’t fair! You knew I was going to order a salad!” Kougyoku complained as she scanned the women’s bathroom for any sign of activity.

“But you actually wanted the burger, didn’t you?” Kougyoku didn’t reply, but gestured that the coast was clear. Moving quickly, before a patron could come in, they squeezed themselves into the nearest stall. Kougyoku had hardly finished slipping the lock into place before Judal’s lips were on hers, rough and demanding. His hands were everywhere, tangling in her long hair, squeezing her rump, slipping halfway up her shirt. Judal pressed her backward, pushing her into the stall wall.

 

“Ow!” Kougyoku yelped in pain as her elbow collided with the metal toilet dispenser.

 

“Sorry, Old Hag,” he said, looking a bit sheepish. “Want me to kiss it better?” Kougyoku wrinkled her nose.

 

“But there’s germs…” Judal shook his head, laughing as he twisted her around so that her back was toward him and she was facing the stall wall. 

 

“We’re about to exchange a shit ton of germs now,” he teased, unbuttoning her shorts and easing them over her curvy hips. Kougyoku grimaced at his crudeness, but pressed her hands against the stall for the leverage she’d need soon. Finally managing to unzip his jeans, Judal’s manhood finally sprang free. He pressed his chest against Kougyoku’s back, brushing her silky locks aside so that he could trail kisses along her neck as he rubbed himself against her. Kougyoku purred like a cat under his touch. 

 

“Hurry up and do it. They’re still out there waiting for us.”

 

“Let them wait.”

 

“You have a serious public sex fetish, you know that?”

  
“If you don’t shut your mouth, I’m gonna stuff _it_ in there _._ ”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Leave a comment~ If you want to ask anything revolving the story, I'd happily do my best to answer you. 
> 
> See ya soon^^


	8. Chapter 8

Hakuryuu nearly choked on the water he’d been drinking.

 

“W-wait, you know?!” he sputtered, coughing loudly as the water went down the wrong tube. Morgiana moved to give Hakuryuu a thump on the back in aid, but he waved her off. He appreciated her concern, but he didn’t need the bruise she’d most likely inflict on him. Once Hakuryuu’s coughing fit died down, Alibaba finally replied.

 

“Yup, Kougyoku let me in on it way back in highschool.”

 

“I know as well,” Morg added, with a nod. “Kougyoku mentioned it to me soon after we’d become friends. It’s possible that it slipped out because she was nervous. She didn’t look too pleased with herself afterwards.” 

 

“I figured it out on my own.” Aladdin looked rather sullen as he spoke, for reasons Hakuryuu couldn’t fathom. “It was pretty obvious. Subtlety isn’t exactly Judar’s strong suit.”

 

“B-but-” Hakuryuu stammered, looking at the trio with a mix of confusion and growing annoyance at a certain red eyed pest. “-but Judar was ready to straight up destroy everything I owned when I found out. Which was only by  _ accident! _ ” The words had already left his mouth before Hakuryuu realized that he probably should’ve left that last detail out. Already, Alibaba was struggling not to burst into laughter. 

 

“Wait, wait. Hakuryuu, did you… did you really...” Alibaba couldn’t hold it in anymore, and bent over laughing, his arms hugging his waist. “Oh my god… I can’t believe you actually…”

 

“Shut up!” Hakuryuu’s face was burning a bright incriminating red. Morg solemnly shook her head at him.

 

“Hakuryuu…”

 

“I didn’t do it on purpose, Morgiana! It’s not like I meant to barge in on them!  _ I just wanted my goddamn headphones back! _ ” Tears were actually beginning to pool in Alibaba’s eyes as Hakuryuu desperately tried to defend himself. Even Aladdin, who’d been awfully quiet since the subject of Kougyoku and Judar’s extracurricular activities came up, was chuckling at the poor boy’s scrambling. Eventually, when it seemed like Hakuryuu was just about ready to burst into tears of frustration, Alibaba managed to compose himself. 

 

“It’s fine dude, we’re just teasing. None of us actually think you’re some kind of pervert.” Hakuryuu glared.

 

“Last time I checked,  _ you _ weren’t too fond of being teased either.” Alibaba only made a face in response. “Anyways, aren’t you concerned about it? I mean, Kougyoku’s getting  _ married _ soon.”

 

“It’s not as if she’s really cheating on Sinbad though,” Morgiana pointed out. “They may be engaged, but it’s still strictly a business relationship. We all know Sinbad isn’t exactly upholding any kind of standard for monogamy at the present.” Alibaba chuckled.

 

“The man definitely has an affection for strip clubs.” Morg shot him a glare so fierce, he nearly jumped out of his seat. “What are you mad at me for?!”

 

“He’s not the only one.”

 

“I haven’t gone to a strip club since we star- Hey wait, how do you know about that in the first place?!”

 

“That wasn’t what I meant.” Hakuryuu cut into their lovers spat with a slightly sharp tone, partly because he wanted to get their attention and partly because his chest still twinged a little when he was reminded that they were dating. “I’m talking about what’s going happen when Kougyoku actually gets married. It’s hard to imagine that Sinbad will just slip a ring on her finger and then suddenly, all the crap between her and Judar will disappear.” Alibaba sighed.

 

“You’re right. There’s no way it’ll be that simple. Sleeping together is basically second nature to them, it’s their normal.” At that moment, the waitress arrived at the table. After ordering and thanking her, a silence fell over the booth as the group mulled over their thoughts.  Finally, Hakuryuu spoke up.

 

“Do you think he loves her?” Alibaba rested his chin against his fist, thinking deeply before he gave his response.

 

“...I think he does.” Morg shook her head.

 

“Do you really think so? It’s hard for me to believe that someone like him could truly care about another person, especially if that person was good natured as Kougyoku.”

 

“Come on, Morgiana. I know you don’t particularly like the guy, but he’s not all bad. He might be an asshole sometim- well most of the time, but he’s still human. Aladdin, what do you think about all this?” The blue haired teen observed the table for some time before finally answering his best friend.

 

“I think that it’s not our place to get involved. They’re our friends, and of course we want to help them out, but we also need to accept that it’s between the two of them and that they need to figure it out on their own.” Aladdin’s words managed to stop everyone in their tracks for a moment. It was a while before Alibaba shook his head incredulously. 

  
“Sometimes I seriously can’t believe you’re _sixteen._ ”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry guys, I know it's been awhile. Senior year has seriously been kicking my ass. I'd like to give a special thanks to Laya Trujillo, their comment managed to get me to finally get to work on this chapter. 
> 
> Hope to see you all a lot sooner next time^^


	9. Chapter 9

Even though Alibaba’s comment managed to give everyone at the table a laugh, a heaviness still persisted in the air as each one of young adults continued to privately pick apart and ponder what lied ahead for Judar and Kougyoku’s relationship or friendship or whatever you wanted to call it. Thankfully, it wasn’t too long before the waitress came with their meals and shortly after her arrival that the pair that had been the subject on everyone’s minds returned, albeit with slightly mussed hair and swollen lips. 

 

Kougyoku happily dug into her fries as soon as she sat down, Judar watching her smugly out of the corner of his eye as he lifted the bun of his burger to check that there was absolutely no lettuce to be found anywhere on it. There was not, which was a good thing since Hakuryuu and Kougyoku knew from past experience that if anything remotely vegetable-like touched Judar’s food, he’d demand that the whole thing be remade, completely ignoring the screams of the people around him that begged him to just pick the cursed vegetable off his plate. The tasty food managed to finally dissipate the subject that been stuck in Alibaba, Morg, Aladdin, and Hakuryuu’s minds, and the four of them found themselves to be much more light of heart by the end of the meal. 

 

“Hey, who’s down to head back to my place for a while?” Alibaba asked cheerfully, as the group was made their way out of the restaurant after arguing over the bill for a good fifteen minutes. Judar had apparently “forgot” his wallet at home, resulting in a less than thrilled Hakuryuu having to pay for him, then Aladdin mistakenly told Alibaba that he owed $16.25 when really he owed $21.37, and everything came to a climax when Kougyoku reached for the bill so she could leave the tip and in the process accidentally knocked over her drink into Judar’s lap.

 

Despite the hassle with the bill, everyone was happy to take up Alibaba on his offer. Everyone except Judar, of course.

 

“No way, I’m already bored as fuck. I wanna go back home.” Hakuryuu groaned.

 

“Too bad for you then, there’s no one to drive you back.”

 

“You drive me.”

 

“I’m not driving you home and then driving back to Alibaba’s house! Get a license and drive yourself around, you moron.”

 

“Why should I, when I have you to drive me instead?”

 

_ “I’m not your goddamn chauffeur!”  _ Off the side, Morgiana leaned over to Alibaba.

“I thought they were supposed to be best friends?”

 

“They are best friends.”

“...Are you sure?” Judar and Hakuryuu kept at it for another minute before Kougyoku stepped in.

 

“Hakuryuu, it’s fine. I’ll drive him home.” Hakuryuu looked at his cousin softly, before turning back to shoot a glare at Judar, who to his surprise, didn’t look very pleased.

 

“No way, Kougyoku. He can’t have it his way all the time. He can come with us or he can  _ walk _ .” Kougyoku grabbed his arm gently.

 

“Really, I don’t mind.”

 

“I mind.” Everyone turned to look at Judar, who was blank faced, in bewilderment. “I want to ride back with Hakuryuu.” The said man gave him a smack on the back of head.

 

“Don’t be so ungrateful! Kougyoku just offered to take you, if you wanna go back, you’ll have to go with her.” Despite Judar’s insistence that Hakuryuu be the one to drive him, ten minutes later he was sitting in the passenger seat of Kougyoku’s convertible with fuchsia haired girl at the wheel. From the awkward, perhaps even a little tense atmosphere between them, it was hard to imagine that merely a hour and a half ago, the two had been getting handsy in a bathroom stall. For what seemed like the hundredth time, Kougyoku glanced at Judar, who had turned away from her upon entering the car and leant towards the window. 

 

“Are you really that mad at me because I spilled my drink on you? It was an accident and it didn’t even end up leaving a stain.” Judar didn’t offer a reply, just an irritated sigh. “Judar?” He sighed again and finally spoke, keeping his face turned to the window.

 

“I’m not mad at you, old hag. I’m just fucking bor- hey, was that light red?” 

 

“It was yellow,” Kougyoku insisted, nevermind the indignant honks of nearby drivers. “Nevermind that. And don’t call me that… I just can’t help feeling that... you’re upset with me or something.” Judar rolled his eyes and flipped off an angry looking mom in a minivan.

 

“Are you losing your hearing, old hag? I just said that I’m not mad at you. Don’t make repeat myself.”

 

“Okay…” Kougyoku said, reluctantly, still feeling that something was off. She focused her eyes back on the road. Before even a complete minute had passed she felt Judar give her a light poke in the shoulder. It was only a poke, nothing less, nothing more. But something about the simple gesture put Kougyoku’s mind at ease. 

  
  
  


….At least until she took just a little tiny quick microsecond to check her makeup in her rearview mirror. 

 

“Slow down old hag, the cars in front of us aren’t moving. Kougyoku, the cars aren’t moving. KOUGYOKU STOP THE FUCKING CAR!” Kougyoku was finally yanked away from her reflection and immediately slammed down the brakes, resulting in Judar’s head smacking right against the window.

 

By the time Kougyoku dropped him off, the pain in his head still hadn’t subsided. It was technically the old hag’s fault, but he put the blame on Hakuryuu for not driving him in the first place. He’d be sure to give that boy an even bigger headache than the one he himself was currently suffering from. He was already annoyed that Hakuryuu had made him ride with Kougyoku before the potential concussion, though he didn’t even know himself why he’d suddenly been so against riding with her. All he knew was that by the time they left the restaurant, he just didn’t feel like seeing her. 

 

Whatever. It wasn’t important anyway. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey everybody! The pace of the story is about to get much much faster. It's been fun writing about little moments with the characters, but I'd like to start moving this story to its eventual ending. I'm hoping to finish the story before Magi itself ends, but with my procrastinating, that might not happen.
> 
> Anyways, tell me what you think of the chapter below~!


	10. Chapter 10

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm so sorry about how late this is! I'll try and have the next chapter updated sooner!

“YES! I WIN!” Kougyoku cheered as her character Princess Peach sent Alibaba’s Marth flying off screen. 

 

“Goddamit! That’s the third time!” Alibaba complained, tossing his controller onto the plush white sofa he had been perched on the edge of.

 

“At least you got second place...” mumbled a sulky Hakuryuu whose Link had served as more of a punching bag than actual competition for the two seasoned players. Aladdin, who’d rather code video games than play them and Morgiana, who was banned from using any kind of handheld console after she pressed down too hard and jammed the buttons on Alibaba’s Nintendo, took it upon themselves to comfort the brooding boy. 

 

“How about we do something else while those two go at it?” Morg suggested. “You could teach me and Aladdin to cook something for us all to eat?” Although Morg was about as good a chef as Kougyoku was a driver, Hakuryuu agreed and the trio headed to Alibaba’s kitchen.

  
  


“No, you can’t use powdered sugar instead of flour to make sweet fried chicken,” Hakuryuu tried to explain to Morgiana as she searched the pantry relentlessly for the powdery substance. 

 

“I don’t understand. It has the same consistency as flour and it tastes sweet. What’s the problem?” 

 

“That’s not how it works, you’re supposed to make a sweet sauce and toss the fried chicken in it.

 

“So the powdered sugar goes in the sauce?”

 

“No, the powdered sugar doesn’t go anywhere!” Aladdin made no effort to help him explain the concepts of cuisine to Morg, instead opting to watch his attempts with a grin that was on the verge of breaking into full out laughter. God forbid Hakuei and Morgiana ever step into any kind of food preparation space together, whatever they created could probably overcome all the antacids in the country. It was right about then that Hakuryuu’s cell vibrated in his pocket, while he was on the verge of telling Morgiana that it’d be a better idea if she learned by watching instead of doing. Checking the screen, he found a text from his sister. “Speak of the devil…”

“Huh?”

 

“Nothing,” said Hakuryuu in response to Morg’s puzzlement and opened up the text. His baby blues widened. “Oh my g- Kougyoku! Get over here!”

  
  


“There you are Judar, I’ve been waiting for you,” Gyokuen said, looking up from the files spread across the intricately carved wooden desk she was seated at. It was the same desk that Kougyoku had crawled under yesterday. Wait, yesterday? Had it really been that recent? It felt like days, maybe even weeks ago. “-dar? Judar, are you listening?” The boy groaned and draped himself over one of the chairs in front of Gyokuen.

 

“That’s not your desk,” he said flatly, completely ignoring her question. The smile stretching from ear to ear on that hag’s face was so tight, Judar half-expected her skin to start tearing.

 

“It isn’t yours either, but you didn’t seem to care much about that yesterday.” Judar inwardly flinched at the reminder of “yesterday”. “Actually, that’s why I requested you to come see me today. Obviously, it has come to my attention that you share a very, let’s say  _ intimate _ relationship with Kougyoku.” Gyokuen paused, most likely hoping to see him squirm. Judar simply continued to look at her, blank faced. After a moment she continued, “While I make it one of my utmost priorities to assure your happiness at Kou Tech, I’m afraid that this relationship must come to an end immediately.” 

 

“Is someone scared of pissing off the big scary Sinbad?” Judar now wore a smirk, but the amusement didn’t manage to reach his ruby eyes. “I can’t imagine why else you’d care.” 

 

“Perhaps I’m worried about my step-daughter’s future.” This launched Judar into a genuine state of laughter. He laughed so hard that his eyes even teared up a little.

 

“You? You don’t care about anyone but yourself.” Gyokuen smiled again, not tight like before, but the way a cat smiled when it had a mouse just a few centimeters under its paw.

 

“I suppose we’re alike in that aspect, aren’t we?” Her voice grew more sugary, as the words slipping out of her lips became sharper and sharper. “Do you really think that you could ever make her happy? That she could fall in love with a selfish, careless little boy like you? Don’t mistake the attentions of a lonely girl for real affection.” She leaned across her desk, getting closer to him. “I’m the only one who’s ever thought you were special. So you’ll do as say, won’t you darling?” Judar and Gyokuen’s eyes were locked in a icy standoff, that godforsaken smile still on her face and his still expressionless, refusing to allow any emotion to bubble to the surface and give her the pleasure of having gotten to him. Both waited for the other to make the next move. Who knew how long the two would of stayed like that, if Judar’s phone had pinged a few minutes later. He reached for it, only breaking eye contact to momentarily glance at the screen. His lips curled up at the corners, a gesture which he was well aware would piss off Gyokuen.

 

“I’d love to stay and talk with you more, but it looks like you have a bigger problems to deal with.” Gyokuen’s eyebrows had just began to rise in response when one of her assistants came barreling into the office. 

 

“Ma’am, a video filmed in one of our overseas factories has gone viral.” 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Okay, this A/N is going to be a little longer than usual, just wanted to explain some of the choices I made. I was really deliberate with the players the characters chose to use (the game they were playing was Smash Bros, if you couldn't tell). Kougyoku gets Princess Peach mainly because Kougyoku herself is very girly and I feel she would choose a player based on their aesthetic appeal. I also think Peach suits Kougyoku over a player like Zelda, since Peach uses heavy attacks which is similar to Kougyoku's style. I chose Marth for Alibaba because he comes from a game that is completely strategy based, and I've always thought that Alibaba at heart, was more of a strategist than a fighter. And finally, I chose Link for Hakuryuu because I wanted give him the most widely known "heroic" character in the game. This is due to that fact I feel like Hakuryuu for most of Magi has thought of himself as a hero (although he really isn't), and thus would choose a player that reflected this. I put a lot of emphasis on how recently the events of the first chapter were partly because I'm acknowledging how badly I'm pacing this story (do I get some leeway because its a fanfiction?), but also cause I wanted to highlight a certain aspect of Judar's personality. I'm feeling too lazy to go into that at the moment, but I'd like to at least alert my intentions to you ;)
> 
> See you next time~ Things are certainly heating up, huh?


	11. Chapter 11

“This is bad.”

 

“No, shit it’s bad!” Kouha exclaimed, only further stressed by Hakuei’s statement of the obvious. The two of them, along with an equally anxious Koumei and Kouen, had commandeered the family dining room in order to have a private emergency meeting regarding the leaked factory video. 

 

“I don’t understand what the big deal is. Shocker, corporations use slave labor.” Judar was also present, although he was more concerned with beating his current Candy Crush level than the fate of Kou Tech. Koumei glared at him.

“I’m just going to ignore your total lack of awareness on the importance of public image and the impact it can have on profits. But it’s not just that there’s evidence of our use of sweatshops, it’s that goddamn fire.” Hakuei winced.

 

“It was awful, absolute chaos. Over half of the workers suffered serious burn injuries.”

 

“No one even died!” Judar shouted without breaking eye contact with his screen. Listening to concern for other people’s welfare annoyed him. Especially when it was genuine. Yuck.

 

“ _ Not to mention _ ,” Koumei spoke again, getting more and more irritated with every  word that came out of Judar’s mouth, “That fire suggests to the public that some of our products could be defective.” 

 

Kouha nodded, adding “I saw meme this morning joking about about our new model of cellphones spontaneously combusting.” Judar snorted at this and Kouha swore he could seen a vein bulging out of Koumei’s forehead. 

 

Hakuei turned toward Kouen, who had yet to chime in.

 

“What do you think?” she asked. Kouen paused for a moment, before looking at the closed wooden double doors. 

 

“I think that Kougyoku and Hakuryuu aren’t very good at eavesdropping.” A squeak and a gasp sounded from behind the doors. “Might as well come and join us, you two.” One of the doors slowly swung open to reveal, a relatively calm Hakuryuu and an absolutely flustered Kougyoku. The appearance of the pair was enough to pull Judar away from his phone.

 

“Hold up, which one of you made that squeal?” Judar asked as a corner of his mouth curled upwards, fairly sure that the gasp had came from Kougyoku. After all, he was quite familiar with them. Hakuryuu’s cheeks turned the palest of pinks. Judar was ready to call him out and get a good laugh out of it, but Kouen was already changing the subject.

 

“Well, I imagine you must have something to say.” Hakuryuu’s eyes hardened.

 

“I warned you. I told you not to trust her, to take away all the power she had. _ But you didn’t listen. _ ” Hakuei grabbed her little brother’s arm firmly.

 

“Hakuryuu, you’re not being fair. Mom had so much hold in Kou Tech, we couldn’t just fire her like some nameless, pesky employee. We had to be smart and we had to be  _ careful. _ ”

 

“Who was right and who was wrong, it doesn’t matter anymore. We need to focus on what’s happening right now,” Koumei said. He glanced at Kougyoku, who was biting her lip, lost in thought. “Kougyoku.” She jumped, startled, and looked at her brother with wide eyes.

 

“W-what?”

 

“What are you thinking?” She blushed and fiddled with hem of her lacy skirt.

 

“I, um, nothing really. Just that the situation is really bad. But I’m sure you’ll figure something out!” Koumei narrowed his eyes and opened his mouth to say something, but Judar cut in.

 

“This is boring. C’mon old hag, leave and keep me company, Hakuryuu is too busy resolving his mommy issues.”

 

“Do you wanna die?!” Hakuryuu shouted, cheeks burning, as his sister and Kouen held him back from tackling Judar right then and there. Laughing, Judar took  hold of Kougyoku’s arm and pulled her out of the room, Koumei eyeing his sister closely all the while, an idea beginning to brew in his mind.

  
  
  
  


“You’re always swallowing your words, old hag. It’s annoying.”

 

“I don’t know what you mean,” Kougyoku said, pulling her arm out of his grasp. Judar was pretty sure she knew exactly what he meant, and his suspicions were confirmed when, after a few moments of silence, she said in a soft voice, “You wouldn’t understand.” He didn’t say anything in response, having already lost interest in the subject. Kougyoku sighed. “I think I’m going to go take a bath.” Judar gave her a look that made her cheeks redden. “ _ Alone.  _ I’ll see you later, Judar. _ ” _

 

“You’re such a bore, old hag.”

  
  
  


Kougyoku didn’t see Judar until much later, long after she had soaked in a lovely rose and lavender bubble bath and called Alibaba to tell him all that had happened. She had received text messages of concern and well wishes from many of her friends, including Aladdin and Morgiana, all of which she responded to by saying she doing fine (this was false) and that everything would be okay (she refused to let herself believe that this might be false as well). Sinbad too, had let her a voicemail. The sound of his voice sped up her heartbeat, but she suddenly felt exhausted and decided to call him back in the morning. It was as she lied in bed, her body tired and drained, her mind restless and uneasy, that Judar finally came to her.

 

“Not tonight Judar,” she said, when she felt him peering down at her, her back towards him. 

 

“Weren’t you supposed to keep me company, old hag? I’ve been bored out of my mind all day.”

 

“I’m tired. Please. I just can’t right now.” Kougyoku suddenly felt a weight on her bed. Angry, she began to push herself up. “Hey, I’m serious! I’m not goi-” Judar pushed her shoulder down, sending her tumbling down a short fall back on to the mattress.

 

“I heard you, old hag. I won’t do anything. Just go to sleep.” Kougyoku was silent for a while, before finally speaking, still facing away from him. 

“Why are you staying here?” There was no annoyance or anger in her voice, but rather a softness and even some kind of plead for honesty. 

 

“Too lazy to walk back to my room.” Kougyoku finally turned towards him, her eyes locking with his immediately despite the darkness. 

 

And then, even softer and more pleading than before, she whispered, “Why are you so confusing?”

 

“I don’t know.” He really didn’t. And somehow she knew that. So she curled up into his chest, not caring about what such an affectionate gesture neither before nor after sex implied, and finally fell asleep.   

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Merry Christmas Eve! Consider this my early gift to you all. Sorry it's been so long since I've updated, I started college this year which has been fun (and exhausting), so I had even less time to write. Plus I'll admit, I was so sad that Magi was over, that I didn't want to see anything to do with it for a good month. But I'm back, and hopefully the next update will be in at least a month or so. The end is near!


End file.
